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The Ladder Job Stays on the List: Decide Who Does the Gutters, the Bulbs, and the Storm Door Before You Hire
Household jobs you once did without thinking need a named owner, and whether you do them yourself or hire them out depends on the ladder and the lifting, not on good intentions.
The jobs that fall off the list are rarely the daily care jobs. They are the outdoor and overhead ones: the gutter that backs up after a storm, the porch bulb that burns out, the storm door that will not latch. Put them on the day sheet as a separate block with a name beside each one, so they stop living in your memory.
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Sort each job by height, weight, and time away
Ask three questions about every job. Does it need a ladder? Does it need you to carry something heavy? Will it take you away from her for more than a few minutes? A job that needs a ladder while she is alone in the house is a hire, or a job for a second person you trust, not a weekend project. Mark each job yes or no on all three questions and let the answers sort the list.
Decide what can wait
A slow drip or a sticky latch may not need an answer this week. Ask whether the job causes damage if it waits a month. If it does not, schedule it for a day when a second person is in the house. If it does, it moves to the hire list and gets a date.
Compare the written estimate with your own hours
For jobs you plan to hire out, ask a licensed, insured handyman or gutter service for a written estimate that names the work, the materials, and the cleanup. Then compare it against what the job would cost you in hours and in the time you would be away from her. Ask a neighbor or family member what they would do the job for, too, so you have a second number to weigh. Do not accept a verbal estimate for overhead work.
Give every job an owner and a night
Write the name next to each job, including the hired one. The jobs that slip most are the repeating ones, like the trash to the curb or the bulb check at dusk. Put the curb night on the sheet with its own box, so it does not depend on remembering. Check smoke alarm batteries on the same schedule, from the floor if the alarm allows it, so the check does not require a ladder at all.